Etiquette In Conversation

Hello Friends,

Christmas and the Holidays sure put everything else on hold.  I love to put life aside for one month and focus on family, friends and the gift of Christmas.  On to etiquette.

With all the parties, celebrations and such through the holidays, I was reminded more than once on the need to understand etiquette while in conversation.  There are actually many etiquette rules to consider, but let's just focus on one today; "Balance in Conversation."  This seems to be one that many people find the most annoying, so let's make sure we understand it.

It is polite to simply takes turns when speaking to others.  I'm not saying to walk around with a stop watch in your pocket, announcing when someone's turn is up, but I am saying that we should be aware of how long we speak.  For instance, if we speak for about 5 minutes about our vacation we took last week, it's time to end our summary and ask the person we're with if they've been on any fun trips lately.

Let's make sure we aren't conversations "hoggers."  This makes others more likely to run when they see us coming, and hit "silent" when they see our number on their telephone.

Enjoy your conversations by taking turns.

Yours truly,
Mary Manners